Socket



- [UNITED STATES aosaazz #sooner Warren x. Henning, mano, nl.

Application-February 13. 193s, serial No. zV

` somma. (cina-339) My invention relates to sockets for vacuum Insecuring vacuum tube sockets to the mounting panel, it has beencustomary to rivet a '6 portion of the insulating base of the socket tol the panel. In this method, it often happenedi that the rivetingoperation would crush-or injure the insulating base part, thus renderingthe entire socket useless.

Qne of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved mountingfor a vacuum tube socken whicnwm obviate the nimcuny pointed out above.

.A further object of my invention is to provide a. securing member forholding the socket on the panel which also serves to hold the two partsof the socket base together.

A further object of my invention is to-provide such a construction inwhichthe socket base may be mounted in various positions ofVrotaryadjustmentwith respect to the holder member.-

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved contact forengagingthe contact vpin on the tube which will give good velec- -tricalcontact and which will be inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.Further objects will be apparent from the specification and claims. .Inthe-drawing, in which my invention is shown.,

Figure I is a front view of a vacuum tube l socket constructionembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a. section on the line 2-2 vof Fig. 1,

an embodiment of but showing the socket secured to a panel;

Fig. 3 isv a view of the socket with the outer insulating cover portionremoved; f

Fig. 4 -is a perspective view of one of the contacts; Fig. 5 is asectionon the line 5- 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a section on the-line 6-6of Fig. 2; and Fig.. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1. Referringto the drawing in detail, the construction showncomprises' a panel Ihaving an opening therein to receive a portion of the socket and asocket 2 secured in position on said panel by means of eyelets, rivets3, or the like. The socket itself comprises a. two-part' insulatingbase, a plurality of contacts 4 mounted thereon for engaging the contactpins on thevacuum tube, and means for holding the two parts of the basetogether and securing ,the base to the panel comprising a sheet metalringzmember 5 surrounding the peripheral edges ot the base parts andhavingllaterally extending wings or .ears B V through which the securingeyelets 3 extend,

.` sulating baseportions, as shown in Fig'. 3.

which secure the socket 'to the panel.` This ring member.may be oi'sheet metal and is provided with- 'an inwardly-extending annular ange 1'against which an annular shoulder on the inner base part l rests. Theouter base .part 9 is held securely in position in the ring by means ota pair of ng'ers or Alugs I0 bent down into correspondingly shapedrecesses Il in the rim of the outer base part 9. The outer base partisshown as provided with six of` these recesses so that the two 10 jpartbase may be, secured in the ring in any one of six positions of rotaryadjustment.v 'I 'his is of great convenience to the manuiacturenin thatit enables himto bring the wiring terminals on the socket contacts intothe desired position for wiring. v The Fuse of the sheet metal ears 6'for securing the so'cket to the panel avoids thenecessity for rivetingthrough some insulating portion of the socket, thus eliminating thiscause of breakage of the sockets.' The two insulating base parts arecentered with respect toeach'other by means of a flange portion I2 onthe outer base part iltting over an annular shoulder of the inner basepart. Y The base parts are positioned with respect to 2 eachother sothat the openings on the outer base part will line up properly withrespect to the openings on the inner base part by means of a lug or bossil on the outer` base part which nts 'into a correspondingly shapedrecess on the inner base part 8.. v y l As the contactfpins on-a vacuumtube are o! diierent diameters, it is necessary that the contacts on thesocket and the openings inthe insulating base leading to these contactsshould be correspondingly different' in size invorder to insure theproper engagement of the pins on the vacuum .tubes with the contacts onthe socket.

With this in mind, thel contact 4, shown in perspective in Fig. 4,hasbeen designed. This con` tact is so designedthat the same blank maybe used for making. the contacts both for the large diameter o f contactpins andior the smalldianieterl contact pins. VThe contact is made froma single blank ci 'sheet metal shaped to provide two sheet metalcontactmembers il and il between which the contact pin extendathese contactmembers i being trough-shaped in cross section-so that the'. .cut edgesof the trough have yielding line con'- tactwith the contactpins.As'shown in Figs. 4, 5 50,

and 6,one of thesetrough-like contact members Il -is .wider than theother which insures proper positioning'of lthe contactwhen inserted intothe correspondingly-shaped openings in the lower in- REISSUED v v base.In order to prevent the smaller troughlikev portion from shifting overtoward the larger trough-like portion, a lug or finger I1 lis providedon the smaller trough-like portion which engages an annular shoulder onthe outer insulating base portion, as shown in Fig. 2. The twotrough-like portions are united at their lower ends by means 'of aportion I8 of the stamping, and soldering terminals are'provided asintegral parts of the stamping, having openings I! through which wiresmay be inserted for soldering. As stated.

above, the contact for engagement with the large diameter pin is madefrom the same blank as the contact for the smaller diameter pin. Theonly difference in the complete contacts is that the sides of the largertrough-like contact member Il are bent inwardlytoward each other, 'morefor the small diameter pin than for the large diameter pin, thecross-section ofthe contact for the small diameter pin being shown inFig. 6

and the cross-section for the large diameter pin being shown in Fig. 5.

It will be seen that the use of the ring member 5 for holding the twoparts of the insulating base together avoids the necessity for a centralsecuring member, thus leaving the outer central portion 20 of the outerinsulating base portion clear and unobstructed so that an identifyingmember or character may be molded on this central portion. It will alsobe seen that the useV oi' this sheet metal cup-like member forholdingthe two' partsl of the plates together and `for securing the socket tothe panel avoids the necessity for riveting through an insulating part,thus eliminating this source of breakage. It will be seen that thecontacts are so designed that they afford a desirable engagement withthe contact pins on the tube by means of the four cut edges, that thecontacts for the different sizes of pin may be made from the same blankand that means are provided for holding the contacts firmly in desiredpositionon the insulating base.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art andit is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by theprior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A panel and socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising a panelhaving an opening therein and a socketsecured to. said panel in linewith said opening, said socket comprisingva two-part insulating base,the rear portion of the base carrying contacts for engagement 'with thetubecontacts and the front portion of the base having openings thereinaffording access to the tube engaging contacts, said tubeengagingcontacts having portions clamped between said base portions, thefront portion of the base having a portion fitting in said opening andan annular shoulder fitting against the rear side of the panel aroundsaid opening, said annular shoulder hav ing a recess therein providing aclearance space in the rear of the panel, and means for securing the twoparts of the base together and securing the base to the panel comprisinga sheet metal ring member surrounding the peripheral edges of the baseportions and having outwardly and laterally extending portions securedto the panel V prising an insulating base havingopenings-therethroughfor the entrance of the tube contacts, contactsmounted on said base for engaging the tube contacts, said basehaving aperipheral annular portion having a rear'annular shoulder and a socketholder for supporting said base and securing it to a panel comprising anintegral sheet metal ring member having a cylindrical man surroundingsaid peripheral annular portion, an integral annular flange extendinginwardly from said cylindrical portion for engaging the rear shoulder ofthe base, integral ears extending outwardly and laterally from the frontedge ofthe cylindrical portion having openings therethrough to enablethe socket to be secured to the panel, and an integral finger spacedcircumferentially with respect to said ears extend ing inwardly from thefront edge of the cylindrical portion, the annular peripheral portion onthe base being embraced and held between said nger and said inwardlyextending flange.

3. A socket construction for vacuum tubes com'- prising an insulatingbase having openings therethrough for the entrance of the tube contacts,contacts mounted on said base for engaging the tube contacts, said basehaving a peripheral annular portion having a rear annular shoulder and asocket holder for supporting said base and securing it to a panelcomprising an integral sheet metal ring member having a cylindricalportion surrounding said peripheral annular portion, an integralannularl flange extending inwardly from said cylindrical portion forengaging the rear shoulder of the base, integral ears extendingoutwardly and laterally from the front edge of the cylindrical portionhaving openings therethrough to enable the socket to be secured to thepanel, and an integral finger spaced circumferentially with respect tosaid ears extending inwardly from the front. edge of the cylindricalportion, the annular peripheral portion on the base being embraced andheld between'said finger and said inwardly extending flange, the annularperipheral portion on the base having a recess in its front face toreceive said finger to enable said front face to fit snugly against thepanel and to position the base in the holder.

4. A socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating basehaving openings therethrough for the entrance of the tube contacts,contacts mounted on said base for engaging the tube contacts, said basehaving a peripheral annular portion having a rear annular shoulder anda. socket holder for supporting said base and securing it to a .panelcomprising an integral sheet metal ring member having a cylindricalportion surrounding said peripheral annular portion, an integral annularflange extending inwardly from said cylindrical portion for engaging therear shoulder of the base, integral ears extending outwardly andlaterally from the front edge of the cylindrical portion having openingstherethrough toA enable the socket to be secured to the'panel, and anintegral nger spaced circumferentially with respect to said earsextending inwardlyfrom the front edge of the cylindrical portion, theannular peripheral portion on the base being embraced and held betweensaid finger andv said inwardlyextending flange,1the annular peripheralportion on the base havinga plurality of recesses in its front face in-any one of which said nger may be received to enable the front face ofthe flange to t snugly against the panel and to enable the base to beheld in any one of a number of adjusted positions in the holder.

5. A- socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising a two-partinsulating base, the rear portion of the base carrying contacts forengagement with the tube contacts and the front portion of the basehaving openings therein affording access to the tube-engaging contacts,said tube-engaging contacts having portions clamped between said baseportions, said base having a peripheral annular portion having a rearannular shoulder and asocket holder for supporting said base andsecuring .it to a panel comprising an integral sheet metal ring memberhaving a cylindrical portion surrounding said peripheral annularportion, an integral annular ilange extending in-4 wardly from saidcylindrical portion for engaging the rear shoulder of the base, integralears extending outwardly and laterally from the front edge of thecylindrical portion having openings therethrough to enable the socket tobe secured to the panel. and an integral finger spaced cirfvcumferentially with respect to'said ears extending inwardly from thefront edge of the cylindrical portion, the annular peripheral portion onthe base being embraced and held between said linger and saiddnwardlyextending ange.` l

WARREN K. HENNING.

